As Renee Resnik lay on the floor pinning a too-long pair of gray slacks for Joann Farley to wear on her first day at a new job, another client at Dress for Success noticed the volunteer’s attention to detail.

“Boy, you really do go the extra mile,” the client said.

That’s Renee for you.

“She has such a heart for the clients we serve,” said Molly Preston, suiting program manager at the nonprofit Dress for Success, which provides stylish clothing to needy women interviewing for jobs and starting new careers.

“Right here is exactly why,” Preston continued while watching the recent fitting session at the group’s Short North storefront. “She’s a very good listener. Even though there might be a point of frustration, she’s empathetic and offers a patient ear as she’s guiding our clients to build that wardrobe.”

After striking out with a number of items for Farley, who started her accounting position on Monday, Resnik offered to hem two of the pairs of pants herself and suggested that Farley try a dress.

Farley, 45, of Canal Winchester, wasn’t fond of the dress idea, but Resnik ultimately found a white polka-dot number, pairing it with a black blazer, to satisfy her customer.

In all, Farley left Dress for Success with two bags of clothing and accessories — including a black Coach purse, a blue scarf and two pairs of shoes.

“She’s hemming two pairs of pants for me since I’m vertically challenged,” Farley said of Resnik. “And it all matches. It’s something new and will make me more confident.

“I know all about numbers — I can do them all day,” she continued. “But matching colors? No way.”

Farley was only the latest woman to be outfitted with a small wardrobe — and a dose of self esteem— by Resnik, a volunteer stylist with Dress for Success for the past five years.

The retired nonprofit consultant from Bexley learned of the organization after reading about its Chicago chapter while visiting the Windy City. She was thrilled to find that Columbus has one, too.

“I thought women in our community were getting the short stick and not the support they need,” said Resnik, 66. “This gave me an opportunity to help women hands-on and give them encouragement.”

She volunteers one or two days a week for a three-hour shift, mostly as a stylist. She also sorts the donated inventory, trains other volunteers and leads employment and life-skills workshops for the organization’s clients.

Dress for Success, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, provides the women referred by area social-service agencies with an interview ensemble and, when they become employed, five mix-and-match outfits appropriate for the new job. The organization also offers job-readiness and -retention programs.

Resnik said she enjoys helping women make a strong first impression.

“So many women don’t even know what to wear to an interview,” she said. “I’ve seen so many ‘Oh, my gosh’ expressions. They can see what they can potentially be. It’s a transformation.

“They can walk in the door of their interview feeling great and let their true self shine.”

Resnik has worked with women overcoming addiction — she recalled one woman’s pride at having remained sober for 22 days — as well as women who have left abusive relationships or, like an out-of-work lawyer, have hit a streak of bad luck.

“We focus on the dignity of women,” Resnik said, “and respect where she has come from.”

Resnik helped develop a program for dressing transgender men and women, and Preston said Resnik brought in some Somalian women to talk about how Dress for Success could better serve that growing local population. One suggestion: stocking longer skirts.

Volunteer stylists such as Resnik are vital to the organization’s mission, Preston said, as the clothing appointments serve as “bridges” to the group’s job-retention and -advancement programs.

“Those need to go really well,” Preston said. “The clients need to feel comfortable in a nonjudgmental way. If they have a great experience in their first appointment, they might go to the career center. It’s all about how the volunteers make them feel.”

Farley said Resnik made her feel confident in her clothes even though finding pants short enough for her was difficult.

Resnik said she looks forward to serving more women like Farley next year. The organization this year saw a 20 percent increase in requests for help, serving more than 2,000 women in 2017.

And Dress for Success was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services to bolster its efforts. This year is the fifth that the county has partnered with the organization.

Resnik has seen firsthand the effect that Dress for Success has had on women, noting that she has met women working at Chase and other high-profile companies who used to be clients.

“It reaffirms to me that we’re helping to build their careers, and I had a small part in it,” she said. “I feel lucky to have found this place. There’s something about it that is so magical.”

award@dispatch.com

@AllisonAWard

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